2007/10/08

I had wondered how companies like DesignQR and TimesCode and online tools like MojiQ Maker generate working codes with icons or text obscuring part of the code. I suspected that they rely on error-correction to compensate for the modules removed or obscured by the design. Most of the examples I see are type 6 or higher codes even though they contain relatively little information, which would be consistent with using the higher error-correction settings. So naturally I gave it a try.

So you can take a shortcut to adding a little identity to a QR-code.

Make code with 25% or 30% error-correction using your tool of choice

Grab a logo image

Pull your code and logo into your drawing program

Adjust until you like the result and it scans with your phone

Save

Brag about it on your nerdy blog

I am sure that DesignQR's approach is more scientific than this but it works all the same. Both examples work well on my E65 - almost an instant scan with i-nigma and Kaywa (the only reader's I tested this with so far). I generally like the approach of working the design into the code more, but this is faster and easier and why not combine the approaches?